Friday, June 1, 2012

Yosemite 2012

I went to Yosemite last week. We’ve been going there in the spring for a number of years and it’s always a wonderful trip. For the past few years, we’ve pretty much done the same thing. We make a fast trip though the big trees, then head into Yosemite Valley. There’s always a stop at Yosemite Falls. Spring is when there is the most water from the snow melting. It changes from year to year. Last year there was a lot of snow and we got sopping wet just standing near the base of the falls. This year, because of the warm weather, the snow melted early and so the falls were much less intense.

There are convenient free buses that go around the Valley floor and we seem to always take it to t the stop for Happy Isles and the Mist Trail.

For the past few years, we’ve done the walk through Happy Isles. It’s flat and easy, other than climbing over a few rocks and some fallen trees. The Merced River rushes by and tumbles over rocks filling the air with negative ions. It nice, but not very exciting.

So, this year when we got off the bus, I suggested we go on the other trail. It’s on the other side of the river and leads to the Mist Trail which climbs to the top of Vernal Falls and also seems to be the area where lots of accidents happen.

I was prepared. I had my backpack and walking stick, though the crocs might not have been your typical hiking shoes, but for my Princess and the Pea feet, they are the only thing that works. The path that leads to the base of the Mist Trail is over a mile long and steeply uphill and you’re already something like 4000 feet up. It probably would have been better if we’d done the hike in the morning. As it was, it was midday and a warm day.

It was hard and I stopped a lot, but I never once thought of giving up and going back. I wanted to do something that was a challenge. I wanted to take the hard way. I think it’s too easy to get lazy and do the things that don’t make you push yourself.

I was very happy when we got to the base of the Mist Trail, though as it turned out, we didn’t stop there and went up part of it. I climbed out on the rocks in the middle of the river. By then I was drunk on all the negative ions and the high of making it that far.

The trip back wasn’t easy either. It’s downhill, but so steeply downhill, you are constantly fighting gravity to keep from going to fast - at least for me. There were some kids that went by like runaway railway cars.

And when we go the bus stop - well, I did kind of want to sit down, but such a feeling of achievement!